Various studies have shown substantial damages caused by clothes dryer fires. As an example, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimated that 15,500 clothes dryer fires in the United States alone result in 10 deaths, 310 injuries, and $84.4 million in damages annually. Despite advancements in safety, there continues to be a substantial need for improved safety mechanisms for home appliance exhausts, such as those on clothes dryers.
A large number of clothes dryer fires ignite in or immediately progress to lint vent exhaust systems where lint removed from clothing, as well as other debris, may act as kindling and expand the size and potential for damage of a fire.